ITF helps spotlight sustainable development

The ITF has contributed to a major civil society report on sustainable development launched on the first day of the United Nations’ High-Level Political Forum.

Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2017 highlights how privatisation, public-private partnerships and the growing influence of corporate bodies over governments and international institutions are threatening the achievement of the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). The report presents alternatives to this mainstream trend. The SDGs were adopted unanimously by UN member states in September 2015 to comprehensively address major global problems.

Alana Dave, leader of the ITF’s Our Public Transport programme, wrote the Reclaiming OUR public transport article. In it, she described the ‘massive strategic importance’ of the urban transport sector in the economic and social life of cities and how public authorities are lead industry players, both in their role as employers and political decision-makers.

She explained how the vital role of urban transport unions was under threat from ‘a massive offensive against unions and workers, including the ability to take strike action’. And she set out how the ITF and its unions were responding to these challenges – by focusing on rebuilding industrial muscle in targeted cities and different transport modes in order to win public transport systems that meet the needs and rights of workers and ordinary people, and reduces emissions.

Ms Dave said: “The ITF is proud to be part of this important report. Trade unions, social movements and non-governmental organisations play a vital role to hold governments, international bodies and multinational corporations to account in our fight for a just world which puts people before profits.”

The report will be formally presented to the UN conference at an event on 18 July in New York.